Music as medicine: Uria Tsur on what happens when we stop hiding our voices

Today's society leads us to hide rather than express ourselves. To judge rather than listen. To control rather than experience. And that is why our voice is more important today than ever before. It is a quiet but extremely powerful tool for authenticity, connection, and inner freedom, which we sometimes lose in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

For the new episode of Talks 21, I invited Uriah Tsura, a musician, composer, and teacher who helps people rediscover their voice. He sees it as a bridge between what we feel inside and what we are able to share with the world. He doesn't teach performance. He teaches presence. He does not lead to perfection, but to truthfulness. He leads Vocal Freedom Workshops and Voice Medicine Retreats, and creates spaces around the world where people can feel safe enough to truly open their inner selves and let them be heard.

We talked with Uriah about how music can connect people even when words are not enough. How to enter into a "flow" where we don't push life, but let it flow through us. And also about why we don't have to suppress pain and how its gentle touch can lead us to a deeper understanding of joy, unity, and each other.

You can listen to the entire ninth episode of the Talks 21 podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or directly on my website. 

What to take away from the episode

• The voice is a tool that reveals how we really feel.

• Music connects where words are not enough.

• Authenticity begins when we stop worrying about not being perfect.

• Flow arises when we stop trying to control everything.

• Pain is not a mistake—it can be a brief signal that helps us grow.

• Working with our voice reveals our inner blocks and the power we have.

• Open sharing creates closeness between people faster than any words.

Music as a common language and tool for authenticity

Have you ever thought about how music is not just entertainment, but a way to share emotions where words are not enough? In an interview, Uria reminds us that music is a natural part of our communication. Every sentence we say has rhythm, melody, and a certain energy.

For Uria, the voice is a path to authenticity. According to him, each person carries their own shade of human experience, and the voice is one of the most natural ways to express it. When we speak or sing without fear of judgment, what is real and natural to us begins to emerge.

The way he works with people is also interesting. His goal is not to teach someone to sing technically correctly. He focuses on creating an environment where people feel safe and can express themselves as needed. When working, he perceives the group as a whole. He sees where people are tense or uncertain and sensitively encourages them to relax.

How to be in the flow

Personally, I love going climbing. For me, it’s a moment when I am fully here and now—nothing else exists in that moment. And this is exactly the state we talked about with Uria. For him, singing is the gateway into this state. For someone else, it might be movement, sport, dance, or simply a quiet moment of stillness.

Flow is not unattainable. It is a moment when the pressure to perform subsides, and our mind switches from control to observation. In the podcast, we discussed how to get into this state more often, why we feel good in it, and what role our mind plays in all of this. Whether as a support or, sometimes, an obstacle.

Pain as a teacher of happiness 

We often see pain, sadness, or tension as something that needs to be quickly suppressed or overcome. But in our conversation, we came up with an interesting idea: that brief contact with these emotions can be an important part of our growth. 

Uria describes that when we don't avoid unpleasant emotions but accept them for a moment, we don't have to get lost in them. They can become our teacher, showing us something we would otherwise overlook. Only then can they recede and make room for joy. 

That is why he uses music and voice in his workshops as a safe framework in which people can express even difficult emotions without being overwhelmed by them. 

Listen to episode 9 of Talks 21

Are you interested in why it is so difficult for many people today to be truly open? How does the fear of judgment affect our communication? Or what is behind the current polarization of society, and how can we deal with it in our daily lives?

Plus, there's a surprise waiting for you at the end in the form of Uri's unreleased song, which beautifully sums up everything we talked about in episode 9 of Talks 21. 

I hope you enjoy listening on your favorite platform— Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or my website. I believe this conversation can offer a new perspective on how we view difficult moments. Perhaps it will inspire us to see them more as opportunities for growth and to appreciate the joy that comes after them even more. As Uria himself says, without darkness, the stars would not shine so brightly.